Snubbed railway trucks



`G.F. COUCH SNUBBED RAILWAY TRUCKS April 2s, 1959 Filed Nov. so, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor: Glenn E Couch his Attorney April 28, 1959 G. F.coucH I 2,883,944

` SNUBBED RAILWAY TRUCKS Filed Nov. 30, 1955 2 sheets-'sheet 2 FIG. 3

Inventor: Glenn E Couch Vhis Attorney United States Patent O SNUBBEDRAILWAY TRUCKS Glenn F. Couch, Bergen, N.Y., assignor to Symington-Wayne Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Application November 30,1955, Serial No. 550,012 Claims. (Cl. 10S-197) This invention relates tosnubbed railway trucks and particularly to a snubbed lateral motiontruck in which a bolster or other spring-supported member is movableboth vertically and laterally relative to a supporting member.

The friction wedges or like snubbing means of a conventional snubbedtruck are designed primarily to dampen the periodic oscillations Aof thesupporting springs by frictionally resisting the relative verticalmovement of the bolster or other spring-supported member and if appliedto a lateral motion truck, would resist both vertical and lateralmovement with substantially the same force. Since this would practicallyinhibit desired lateral motion, it has been the practice in snubbedlateral motion trucks to restrict the snubbing to relative verticalmovement. However, this is not an ideal solution, since, although notnormally cushioned by coil springs, the lateral motion also tends tobecome periodic with consequent detriment to the action of the truck.

`AIt is therefore the primary object of the present inventionto provideya snubbed lateral motion truck in which both the vertical and thelateral relative movements of the bolster or other vspring-supportedmember are snubbed but'with different force. i

Another object of the present invention is to provide av clinedv springwhich resists the relative movement of a" pair of members, whereby eachof the components` of force'of the spring acts to resist relativemovement of the members in a dilferent direction.

An ladditional object of the'invention is to provide a snubbed unit ofthe character ldescribed Wher'ebya predetermined diiference ismaintained between the force resisting relative vertical movement andthat resisting horizontal movement.

y-A'lfurther object `of the invention is to providev a snubbed railwaytruck wherein an inclined spring urges a'friction shoe against a pair ofsurfaces substantially normallyfdisposed relative to each other, onecarried by each-.of a pair of relatively movable members andthe frictionbetween theV shoe and one of the surfaces is limited yor eliminated onrelative movement of the members in directions substantially normal tothat surface, whereby the resistance to relative movementv of themembers in different directions Acan be varied and the variation'. willbe greater or less depending on the inclination of "loe pointed out inthe appended claims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a railway truckincorporating an embodiment of the snubbing means of the presentinvention, with portions brokenV away and shown in section to moreclearly illustrate certain of the details of construction;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View taken along the lines 2 2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, the upper portion taken Ialongthe lines 3--3 of Figure 1 and the lower portion taken along the lines3-3 of the same ligure;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a furtherembodiment of the snubbing means of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a third embodimentof the snubbing means of the present invention; and

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the motion railwaytruck in which a pair of spring-supporting and supported members aremovable both laterally and vertically relative to each other. While insuch application the pair of members may be a journal box and side frameor the base and cap of a spring package group, they will usually be aside frame and bolster and the ap'- plication of the invention to thelatter members has therefore been selected for purposes'of illustration.

Since the construction, apart from the snubbing mechanism, isunimportant, only so much of the side frame 1 and bolster 2 have beenshown as are required for an' understanding of the invention. Theillustrated side frame 1` is comprised of the usual tension member 3 andcompression-member 4 joined adjacent their outer extremities in theusual manner and connected intermediate' their extremities by a pair ofguide columns or uprights 5 spaced longitudinally of both side frame andtru-ck and, with the included portions of the tension and compresf sionmembers, dening a bolster opening 6 for receiving an end portion ofthebolster 2 and a supporting spring group indicated diagrammatically at 7which is interposed between the tension member 3 of the side frame andthe bolster.

In accordance with the present invention, it is contemplated to pocketand have carried by one ofthe springsupported and supporting members,one or more friction' shoes 8 and resiliently urge the shoe intofrictional engagement with surfaces on or carried by both of themembers. While thus pocketable in either side frame or the bolstermember in each of the illustrated embodiments, the shoes in all areshown pocketed in the guide icolumns 5 of the side frame, there beingprovided in one and preferably each guide column a pocket 9 openinglongitudinally of the side frame onto or toward both bolster 2 andbolster opening 6. In each pocket of all of the embodiments is containedor Ihoused at least one of the friction shoes 8 and the pocket has at oradjacent one or each of its vertical extremities a preferably rigidsubstantially horizontally directed shelf 10 which a sub?,

stantially horizontally directed friction face 11 on the correspondingend of the friction shoe is adapted to frictionally engage. Each shoealso has a second friction face 12 disposed substantially vertically ornormal to the first friction face 11 and adapted to frictionally engagea correspondingly directed confronting friction surface 13 either on thebolster or on a wear plate 14 xed thereto.

Also contained in each pocket and acting to urge an associated shoe intoengagement with the shelf and friction surface 13 is at least one coilspring 15 which is inclined with respect to both friction faces 11 and12, as well as the related shelf 10 and the friction surface 13. Eachspring seats at one end in a spring seat 16 in the shoe and its oppositeend in a spring cavity or second spring seat 17 formed in the inner wall18 of the pocket, the two cooperating spring seats being disposedsubstantially normal to the axis of the spring and thus also inclinedrelative to the friction faces, shelf and friction surface. With itstotal resilience or force divided between vertical or horizontalcomponents, the division depending upon its inclination, each coilspring is enabled to urge the faces 11 and 12 of the associated shoe 8against the related shelf 10 and the friction surface 13, despite thenormal disposition of the shelf and surface relative to each other andwith a force predetermined by the inclination of the spring. Toaccommodate any vertical angling of the bolster 2 relative to the sideframe 1 as may occur under service conditions, the horizontally directedface 11 of the shoe 8 desirably is a crowned or rocker surface throughwhich the shoe can rock on the shelf in maintaining its other orvertically directed face 12 in contact with the friction surface 13 onthe bolster.

The provision of rocking engagement between a shoe and a shelf of apocket and the inclination of the actuating coil spring are not inthemselves new. However, the utilization of these and the othercomponents of the snubbing mechanism to enable the vertical andhorizontal or lateral movements of a bolster relative to a side frame tobe snubbed with different force has not heretofore been conceived of.This major objective of the present invention is here attained bypermitting the shoe limited movement in one direction in unison with thebolster while resisting this movement by the friction engendered betweenthe horizontally directed face 11 of the shoe and the related shelf 10.

As exemplified in Figure 3, the bolster 2 of each embodiment is movablelaterally or transversely of the side frame 1 to the extent of thespacing between guide or limiting lugs or ears 19 on the bolster andinboard and outboard edges 20 of the guide column 5 which the guide lugsoverlap. As also appears from the same gure, in each embodimentsubstantially equal or corresponding spacing, transversely of the sideframe, is provided between the shoe or shoes carried by the side framein each pocket and the inboard and outboard walls 21 of the latter. Withthis construction, each shoe is enabled to move laterally ortransversely with the bolster and relative to the side frame withoutrelative movement between the vertical friction surface 13 and thecorresponding face 12 of the shoe. Since during such movement theinclined spring 15 maintains the shoe in contact with both the bolsterand the shelf o-f the pocket, the transverse movement of the shoerelative to the pocket causes the horizontal frictional surface 11 onthe shoe to rub against the shelf 10 and thus frictionally resist thelateral movement. To ensure that the friction surface 13 andcorresponding face l1 of the shoe will move in unison during lateralmovement of the bolster relative to the side frame, it is preferred toinset the friction surface in the side of the bolster within a verticalslot or recess 22, the lateral walls 23 of the recess clearing thecorresponding edges of the shoes so as no-t to interfere with verticalmovement of the bolster but being sufficiently close to inhibit relativelateral movement of the shoe and bolster.

The relationship of the resistances imposed by the spring 15 on therelative vertical and lateral movements of the bolster and side frame isa function of its inclination. Were the spring inclined at an angle of45, its horizontal and vertical components of force would be equal andthe resulting resistance to relative vertical and lateral movement wouldbe about the same. However, by inclining each spring at an angle of lessthan 45, its horizontal component of force is made the greater and thedesired relatively less resistance to lateral motion is obtained. Suchinclination has the further advantage of increasing the directresistance of the springs to horizontal angling of the bolster relativeto the side frame and consequent unsquaring Iof the truck, while alsoaffording frictional resistance to such unsquaring through engagement ofthe shoes with the shelves.

The several embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings allincorporate the above characteristics and differ from each otherprimarily in the arrangement of the springs and number of shoes in eachpocket. In the embodiment of Figs. l-3 the shelves in the two pocketsare substantially coplanar, each of the pockets 9, one in the guidecolumn 5 at either side of the bolster 2, containing a single shoe 8 andeach of the opposed shoes is acted upon by a pair of springs which areinclined upwardly towards the bolster and oppositely relative to thosein the other pocket. This embodiment is illustra tive of conventionalsnubbing of vertical movement the resistance afforded to verticalmovement of the bolster being greater in one direction, here upward,than in the opposite direction.

The embodiments of Figure 4 and Figures 5 and 6 are designed to providesubstantially equal resistance to both upward and downward movement ofthe bolster. In the embodiment of Figure 4, this is accomplished with asingle shoe 8a in each pocket 9a. However, by contrast with the firstembodiment, the pair of springs 15a acting on one of the shoes isinclined upwardly toward the bolster while that acting on the other shoeis parallel to the rst and inclined downwardly and the shelves 10a inthe pockets and horizontally directed faces 11a on the shoes arecorrespondingly reversed, those at the left being at the upper ends ofthese elements while those at the right are at their lower ends and thusvertically spaced from those at the right. As a consequence, while theresistance of the shoe at the left is less to downward than to upwardmovement, that at the right is the reverse and the two forces balanceeach other so that the bolster is equally resisted in both upward anddownward vertical movement relative to the side frame.

In the third embodiment of Figures 5 and 6, each pocket contains a pairof shoes 8b, each acted upon by a single spring 15b, one inclineddownwardly and the other upwardly toward the bolster and the pocket hashorizontally directed shelves 10b at both its upper and its lowerlimits, each engaged by the correspondingly positioned, horizontallydirected friction face 11b on one of the shoes. The pair of springs ineach pocket being inclined equally above and below the horizontal, theresultant resistance to upward and downward movement is equalized ateither side of the bolster.

From the above detailed description, it will Ibe apparent that there hasbeen provided `an improved snubbed unit particularly adapted to yarailway truck and capable of resisting the movement of a pair of membersin ya plurality of directions with different force. It should beunderstood that the described and disclosed embodiments are merelyexemplary of the invention and that all modications are intended to beincluded which do not depart either from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a snubbed unit, the combination with a pair of members movablerelative to each other in a plurality of directions and a spring groupinterposed Ibetween said members, of va friction surface carried by oneof said members and disposed substantially in one of said directions, ashelf carried by the other of said members and disposed substantiallynormal to said surface and in another of said directions, a frictionshoe having a pair of friction faces each disposed substantially in thedirection of and frictionally engageable with one of lsaid shelf andsurfacecoil spring means `linclined relative to both of said'faces andacting between said shoe Iand one of said members for urging said facesinto said engagement with s'aid surface andV shelf, Iand limiting meansnormally spaced from said shoe for enabling said shoe to move in unisonwith said other member on movement thereof in any direction parallel tosaid shelf relative to said one member, said shoe by engagement withsaid surface resisting relative movement of said members in a directionnormal to said shelf and by engagement with said shelf resisting saidrelative movement in any direction parallel to said shelf.

2. In a snubbed unit, the'combination Witha pair of relatively movableYmembers and spring means interposed between said members, of a frictionsurface carried byy one of said members, -a friction shelf carried bysaid other memberand disposed substantially normal tov said fric-` tionsurface, a` friction shoe having a pair of friction faces' each disposedsubstantially parallel to and engageable with one of said surface andshelf, Coil spring means act-I ing between said other member and shoeand inclined relativeto Iboth of said faces for' urging said faces intoengagement with Asaid surface and shelf, and limiting means normallyspaced from s'aid shoe for enabling said shoe to move in unison withsaid other member on movement thereof in any direction parallel to saidshelfrelative to said one member, said :shoe by engagement with saidsurface resisting relative movement of said members in a directionnormal to said shelf and by engagement with said shelf and independentlyof said engagement with said surface resisting said relative movement inany direction parallel to said shelf.

3. In a railway truck, the combination with a pair of members movablevertically and laterally relative to each other and supporting springsinterposed between said members, of Ia. substantially verticallydire-cted friction surface on one of said members, a pocket in saidother member and opening toward said one member, -a substantiallyhorizontally directed shelf in said pocket, friction shoe means in andspaced laterally from inboard and outboard walls of said pocket, saidshoe means having a substantially vertically directed face engageablewith said surface and a substantially horizontally directed faceengagcable with said shelf, coil spring means inclined relative to saidfaces and acting between a wall of said pocket and said shoe means forurging said faces into said en- -gagement with said surface and shelf,`and stop means carried by said one member and embracing inboard andoutboard edges of said other member, said stop means being laterallyspaced from said edges in substantial correspondence with the spacing ofsaid shoe means from said walls of said pocket for limited lateralmovement in unison of said shoe means and one member against thefriction engendered between said shelf and the shelfengaging face ofsaid shoe.

4. In a railway truck, the combination with a pair of members movablevertically and laterally relative to each other and supporting springsinterposed between said members, of a substantially vertically directedfriction surface on one of said members, a pocket in said other member,a pair of vertically spaced substantially horizontally directed shelvesin said pocket, a pair of shoes in said pocket both having frictionfaces engageable with said friction surface and each having a frictionface engageable with one of said shelves, and coil spring meansoppositely inclined relative to each other and to said faces and 'eachacting between an inner wall of said pocket and one of said shoes forurgingsaid faces into said fric to said other member against theresistance engenderedbetween said shelves and shelf-engaging faces ofsaid shoes.

5. In a `snubbed unit, the combination with a pair of members movablevertically and laterally relative to each other and spring meansinterposed between said members, of a substantially vertically directedfrictionv sur'- faee carried by one of said members, a substantiallyhorizontally directed shelf carried by said other member, a frictionshoe having a substantially vertically directed face engageable withsaid surface and a substantially horizontally directed crowned faceengageable with said shelf, coil spring means acting between said shoemeans and other member and inclined relative to both said faces forurging said faces into said engagement with said surface and shelf, stopmeans carried yby said one member and embracing and spaced from inboardand outboard edges of said other member for limiting said lateralmovement, and limiting means normally spaced laterally from said shoe incorrespondence with the spacing between said stop means and edges forenabling said shoe to move laterally relative to said other member inuni-- members movable relatively in vertical andk horizontal' directionsand supporting coil springs interposed between said members, of asubstantially horizontally directed shelf on one of said members, asubstantially vertically directed surface on the other of said members,a shoe carried by one of said members and having a substantiallyhorizontally directed yface engageable with said shelf and asubstantially vertically directed face engageable with said surface,coil spring means inclined relative to said face and acting between saidone member and 'shoe for urging said faces into frictional engagementwith said shelf and surface, and limiting means normally spaced fromsaid shoe for -enabling said shoe to move in unison with said othermember on movement thereof in a horizontal direction relative to saidone member, said shoe by engagement with said vertical surfacefrictionally resisting relative vertical movement of said members and byengagement with said shelf imposing a differ ent frictional resistanceto relative horizontal movement of said members.

7. In a snubbed unit, the combination with a pair of members movablerelative to each other in a plurality of directions and a spring groupinterposed between and urging said members in one of said directions, ofa friction surface carried by one of said members and disposedsubstantially in said one direction, a friction shelf carried by saidother member and `disposed substantially normal to 4said surface and inanother of said directions, a friction shoe having a pair of frictionfaces each disposed substantially in the direction of and frictionallyengageable with one of said shelf and surface, coil spring meansinclined relative to Iboth of said faces and acting between said shoe`and one of said members rfor urging said faces into said frictionalengagement, and limiting means normally spaced from said shoe forenabling said shoe to move in unison with one of said members onmovement thereof in one of said directions relative to the other member,whereby resistance to relative move ment of said members in each of saiddirections is engendered by a different component of force of saidspring means 8. In a snubbed railway truck, the combination with a pairof relatively movable members and spring means interposed between saidmembers, of a friction surface carried by one of said members, a pocketin said other member, shelf means in said pocket and disposedsubstantially normal to said surface, shoe means in said pocket andhaving a plurality of friction faces each disposed substantiallyparallel to and engageable with one of said surface and shelf means,coil spring means acting between said other member and shoe means forurging said faces into said engagement with said surface and shelfmeans, and limiting means normally spaced from said shoe means forenabling said shoe means to move in unison with said one member onmovement thereof in a direction substantially parallel to said shelfmeans rel-ative to said other member against the force exerted by saidspring means between said shoe means and shelf means, said shoe means byengagement with said surface resisting relative movement of said membersin a direction substantially normal to said shelf means.

9. In a railway truck, the combination with la pair of members movablevertically and laterally relative to each other and supporting springsinterposed between said mem-bers, of a pair of transversely spacedsubstantially vertically -directed friction surfaces on one of saidanembers, transversely spaced pockets in the other of said members andeach opening toward one of said friction sur-faces, a pair ofsubstantially coplanar horizontally directed shelves one in each of saidpockets, friction shoe means in each of said pockets and each having apair f friction faces one disposed substantially parallel to andengaging each of the adjacent of said surfaces and shelves, `coil springmeans in each of said pockets and acting between the related shoe meansand said other member, said coil spring means in said pockets beingoppositely inclined relative to each other and said faces for urgingsaid faces into engagement with adjacent of said surfaces and shelves,and limiting means normally spaced laterally from each of said shoemeans for enabling said shoe means to move in unison with said onemember on movement thereof laterally relative to said other member'against friction engendered 'between said shelves and theshelf-engaging faces of said shoes.

10. In `a railway truck, the combination with a pair of members movablevertically and laterally relative to each other and supporting springsinterposed between said members, of a pair of transversely spacedsubstantially vertically directed friction surfaces on one of saidmembers, transversely spaced pockets in the other of said members andeach opening toward one of said friction surfaces, a pair of verticallyspaced substantially horizontally directed shelves one in each of saidpockets, friction shoe means in each of said pockets and each having apair of friction faces one disposed substantially parallel to andengaging each of the adjacent of said surfaces and shelves, coil springmeans in each of said pockets and acting between the related shoe means`and said other member, said coil spring means in said pockets beinginclined relative to said faces and substantially parallel to each otherfor urging said shoe means on opposite sides of said one mem-ber againstsaid friction surfaces `and oppositely against said shelves, andlimiting means normally spaced from each of said shoe means for enablingsaid shoe means to move in unison with said one member on movementthereof laterally relative to said other member against frictionengendered between said shelves and the shelf-engaging faces of saidshoes.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,719,490 Barrett et al Oct. 4, 1955

